The door slammed shut with a resounding BANG, jolting Arien from his whirlwind of thoughts. The apartment's thin walls vibrated, and the faint hum of the city outside seemed to pause, as if holding its breath. He stood there, heart pounding not from fear, but from the cold clarity settling over him like frost on a winter morning.
Sophia strode in, her heels clicking sharply against the floor—click-clack, click-clack—each step a calculated performance. Her auburn hair swayed with practised grace, and that smile... oh, that saccharine smile curved her lips, hiding the sharpness beneath. She tossed her purse onto the couch with casual flair, eyes locking onto his like a predator sizing up prey.
"Arien, babe!" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with honeyed warmth. She closed the distance, arms opening for an embrace he had no intention of returning. "I've got the most amazing news. There's this job opportunity—big money, way better than that dead-end gig you quit. But we have to work for it, don't you think? Together, like always."
He felt his fists clench at his sides, nails digging into palms. Sweet-talking viper, he thought, the borrowed memories flashing like warning lights. She wasn't here for "us." It was always for her—for the next scheme, the next payout.
The original Arien would have melted, nodded eagerly, and handed over whatever scraps remained. But he? He saw the strings she pulled, the web she wove. Yet, with no skills unlocked, no power beyond this fragile body and the system's bare bones...
He had to play along. For now, what a bitch, now how should I deal with her, should I kill her, but there are always consequences. When he is thinking, a message pops out.
DING.
The familiar chime echoed in his mind, the blue window materialising like a lifeline in the haze.
SUB QUEST: deal with Sophia
Sophia harbours secrets that could doom you in the coming collapse. Choose your path wisely. You have 3 options.
Option 1: Ignore her deception.Reward: +10 AP(Safe, but leaves a threat unchecked.)
Option 2: Bind her with the Enslavement Collar.Reward: +50 AP(Cost: 1000 gold coins—Debt incurred; equivalent gold coins will be deducted from future earnings. Item acquisition: Verbal command "World Enslave" to summon the collar. Chant activation required for loyalty binding.)
Option 3: Exact revenge outright.Reward: +100 AP(Reclaim wealth, eliminate the traitor—but risk immediate conflict and timeline anomalies.)
Arien's pulse quickened. Option 3 tempted him, a blaze of fury begging to be unleashed. But with no skills, no weapons... it could be a wrong option. Option 1? Cowardice. No. Option 2—the middle path, control without the mess.
Debt be damned; survival demanded it. Although I don't know why it's giving an enslavement collar in debt, it has several functions like controlling the mind, also the slave can't attack its master.
I can use her better with a slave collar, and also I need money for the systems quest, so I will go for that now.
He forced a smile, mirroring her sweetness with calculated ease. "A job, huh? Sounds promising, Soph. Hey, close your eyes for a sec. I've got a surprise."
She blinked, hesitation flickering in those calculating eyes. "A surprise? Since when do you do surprises?" Her tone teased, but underneath lurked suspicion. How the hell did he get money for anything? And why's he acting so... indifferent?
She wondered, the thoughts practically visible in her furrowed brow. Still, greed won out. She played along, eyelids fluttering shut with a dramatic sigh. "Fine, but this better be good."
Arien's voice dropped to a whisper, steady and commanding. "World Enslave."
A soft whoosh filled the air as the system responded, a sleek black collar materialising in his palm—cool metal etched with glowing runes, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. He stepped closer, the scent of her perfume cloying, almost nauseating. With gentle precision, he fastened it around her neck.
"Now," he murmured, "bind to me eternally. Loyalty unchained, will unbroken—serve as the loyal hound at my side."
The runes ignited with a low hum, an ethereal glow enveloping her. Sophia's eyes snapped open, wide with shock, but it was too late. The chant took hold, weaving into her very essence. Her body trembled, knees buckling as she dropped to the floor—thud—kneeling before him, head bowed in unyielding submission. No scream, no fight; just pure, dog-like obedience shining in her gaze.
"M-Master..." she whispered, voice soft, devoid of the earlier venom. Emotions warred on her face—confusion melting into devotion, resistance crumbling like sand.
Arien's chest tightened, a mix of triumph and disgust swirling inside. This wasn't victory; it was necessity. "Transfer all the money back to my account. Every cent you've taken—the villa proceeds, the 'investments,' all of it. Now."
Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone, fingers flying across the screen. "As you command, Master." Notifications pinged on his own device—funds flowing back, balances swelling. Thousands... tens of thousands. Enough for supplies, for a start.
He knelt to her level, gripping her chin firmly, forcing her eyes to meet his. "Why, Sophia? Why deceive me? Spill it all." and it's only you, or is there anyone else also pressing you?
Her lips parted, words tumbling out in a rush, laced with remnants of her old self—regret? Or just the collar's compulsion? "For the money, Master. You were... easy. Weak. I needed it for the real opportunities—the executive, the lifestyle. You gave everything, and I took it because... because I deserved more. Also, your best friend Kael forced me to do things, and I was also greedy to listen to him...
But now... I see. I serve only you. I apologise for my past greedy self. You can punish me, master. From now on, I will serve you like a dog, so please don't abandon me.
So it also has Kael Thornwick's involvement, although I know, but in my past life, I didn't have time to worry about matters like this, and in the future, he is going to become food for monsters anyway ... Arien smirked and said
Don't worry, you have a lot of use, so I will not abandon you. So sit obediently as he instructed. She sat like a puppy, unlike her disgusting past self.
What the, I know the collar changes human emotion and ensalve the mind, which is why the slave is only able to think about his master. Come to think of it, it cost me 1000 gold coins from my memories. When you open the shop, it has several items, weapons and potions, and you can also buy elixirs, and in terms of collar, there are different types, but this one is epic grade, which is good for me ...
Arien is thinking about this when, standing tall as the system's chime rang again.
DING.
Sub Quest Completed: Option 2 Selected.Reward: +50 APDebt Incurred: 1000 gold coins(Gold equivalent to be deducted from future gains.)New Skill Unlocked: stealth Lv 1 (can be invisible for 10min it can be upgraded based on level)
Now it's a good thing.
A week later, when the mutation occurs, when you kill a monster or zombies, you can level, and there is a creation hidden skill that I don't know about on my status window.
Well, I have to do some preparations about supplies and a strong base to live.
Come to think of it, I now have only one million credits, which is low, and if I am going to buy a lot of supplies, there is a chance of suspicion and a lot of trouble.
Should I just do a heist when it's going to be an apocalypse? There is no need to linger on a hope of morality. It's done thinking I have skills before levelling up or killing monsters, probably because of the golden membership card.
I should use them for my own survival, and I know humans are always scarier than a monster. It's settled, then I can just go to the supply store or warehouse and hoard all of the supplies. When outbreaks occur, there are a lot of monsters and zombies outside, so it's hard for normal people to find supplies. It's better if it's with me.
So he tells Sophia to get a loan from the bank and "Find a standalone villa on the city's edge.Two floors minimum, thick walls, and a basement—hidden if possible.There must be a gate or boundary, even if broken.Utilities or signs of old defences are a plus." Keep in mind, we don't have much time.
As your order master, I will do it as soon as possible.
The countdown ticked on: 6 Days 23 Hours 45 Minutes. Outside, the city stirred unknowingly. But in this room, a chain had been forged—one that bound betrayal into loyalty.
This world was called Aethernox, a land divided into four vast continents after the Apocalypse rewrote its rules.
Eldros, Vaelorn, Sylphae, Noctyra
Arien was in Eldros, the first continent to collapse—and within it, the ruined city of Ravencross, where survival was no longer a choice but a requirement.
As for now, I have to find a suitable place in Ravencross City which meets my requirement of supplies, although shops give food, but it has no good taste, it's only for survival, so he opens a map and then marks the large warehouses in the city, and then the plan begins of a heist ....
To be continued...